84-year-old victim: 'I was calling out to Jesus, and he still told me to shut up.'

JOHNSTON, SC (WIS) - An elderly woman who was beaten, robbed and stripped in her own restaurant is telling the story of the afternoon she was attacked.

84-year-old Carol Knight can't understand why she was badly beaten and stripped of some of her clothes inside her restaurant last week. "It was something that I never thought would happen in 100 years," said Knight.

She is still trying to figure out why someone would want to hurt her so badly.

"He just casually came in, you know, I thought it was probably someone that knew me, and I told him that I wasn't open," said Knight. As he slowly walked toward her, "he said 'this is a hold up' and I still didn't believe him."

Knight's eye is black and swollen and her neck is badly bruised. She says the suspect said he wanted money, and then began to beat her.

"He started pushing me around and started slapping me in the face, and knocked me on the floor." The 84-year-old tried to fight back. "I was trying to come back at him, I recon, and he started chocking me and putting his hands over my mouth."

But he wouldn't stop. "He kept slapping me and choking me," said Knight. "I was calling out to Jesus, and he still told me to shut up." And then she said it became quiet.

Afraid to move, she lied helplessly on the floor until one of her employees arrived for work, saw the blood on the floor and called 911.

Days later, Knight's family and closest friend are praying for her full recovery. "She is just so special to me and I am just broken hearted," said friend Joyce Willing.

Although the bruises will eventually heal, Knight admits the painful memories may never go away. "I see his face at night. I would always, always remember his face."

Robertson is charged with armed robbery and assault. He was denied bond.